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The history of cheerleading at Washington State University dates back to the 1910's when an all male "Rooter Team" cheered on the school then known as Washington State Agricultural College. Notable dates from this time period include the first homecoming held in 1913 and the introduction of the school fight song in 1919. More than 85 years later, the same fight song lyrics are sung by the cheerleaders at every home football game.

During the period of war in the 1930's and 40's, the all men's Rooter Team was replaced with female cheerleaders.

The face of this sport changed nationwide during this time period as female athletes introduced gymnastics and acrobatics into cheerleading.

For more information about the WSU Cheer Team, please contact Head Cheer Coach Chris Opheim.

Go Cougs!

About Chris Opheim

Chris Opheim joined Washington State Athletics as Spirit Coordinator/Head Cheer Coach in the summer of 2012.

A 2008 graduate of the University of Arkansas, Opheim spent the previous four years as the all-star coordinator, head cheer coach and tumbling coach for the Arkansas Airborne in Fayetteville, Ark. With the Airborne, Opheim was responsible for training and developing the skills of all the squads and all-star levels, training all levels of tumbling classes, planning competition and practice schedules for all squads, choreographing nationally competitive all-star cheerleading routines and recruiting prospective members.

A member of the Universal Cheerleaders Association since June, 2004, Opheim served as a head instructor, college instructor, a member of the core instructional staff and a national's judge. In that capacity he coordinated and organized summer cheer camps, provided professional development for high school cheerleading coaches and served a judge for the college cheer and dance nationals and head judge of the National High School Cheerleading Championship.

Opheim started his collegiate career at Northern Iowa where he was a cheerleader from 2004-05. He later cheered at Arkansas from 2005-08 where he served as cheer team captain in 2007 and 2008. Opheim graduated from Fort Dodge Senior High School in Fort Dodge, Iowa in 2003 and received his degree in communication from Arkansas in 2008.


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Official Website of Washington State University Athletics | Bohler Athletic Complex | PO Box 641602 Pullman, WA 99164-1602 | 1.800.GO.COUGS